1 INTRODUCTION guidelines will be supplementary planning guidance and will support the Council's statutory 1.1 Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Unitary Development Plan which sets out the Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 states planning policy framework for the development of that every local authority shall from time to time the borough and development control decisions. determine which parts of their area are areas of They will constitute material planning special architectural or historic interest the considerations in the determination of planning character or appearance of which it is desirable to applications. preserve or enhance, and shall designate them as conservation areas. The Borough has 43 such 1.7 The Government has given guidance to areas designated over 22 years, of which Shepherds local authorities on how to operate the legislation Bush Conservation Area is one. in its Planning Policy Guidance document (PPGlS), entitled "Planningand the Historic 1.2 Once an area has been designated, certain Environment". Here we are reminded that the duties fall on the local authority; in particular prime consideration in identifjmg conservation under section 71 of that Act whereby the local areas is the quality and interest of areas rather than authority must from time to time formulate and that of individual buildings. There has been publish proposals for the preservation and increasing recognition in recent years that our enhancement of those conservation areas. experience of a historic area depends on much more than the quality of individual buildings. 1.3 The Council is doing this in stages. The This would include the historic layout of property first stage is this document which is called a boundaries and thoroughfares; a particular 'mix' of Conservation Area Character Profile. The uses; characteristic materials; appropriate scaling "profile" aims to give a clear definition of what and detailing of contemporary buildings; the constitutes the special architectural or historic quality of advertisements, shopfronts, street interest which warranted the designation of the furniture and hard and soft surfaces; vistas along area as a Conservation Area. It also includes some streets and between buildings and the extent to broad design guidelines which will aid all which trafic intrudes and limits pedestrian use of concerned in their efforts to preserve or enhance spaces between buildings. The Secretary of State the character of the conservation area. therefore intends that conservation area legislation should be seen as the means of recognising the 1.4 Each profile document is intended to form importance of all these factors and of ensuring that a sound basis, justifiable on appeal, for conservation area policy addresses the quality of development control decisions and for the townscape in its broadest sense as well as the guidance of residents and developers protection of individual buildings. 1.5 The next stage will be the production of 1.8 This intention is reinforced by English more detailed design guidelines where necessary in Heritage in their document "Conservation Area consultation with the Hammersmith and Fulham Practice" which recognises that as the number of Historic Buildings Group, Fulham Society, conservation areas being designated continues to Hammersmith Society and other local groups. grow their designation is increasingly being Policy documents for the preservation and looked at more critically It is therefore even more enhancement of individual conservation areas may important than before that there should be a clear be prepared and will be the subject of local definition, recorded in some detail, of what consultation. constitutes the special architectural or historic interest which warranted the designation of every 1.6 The profiles and subsequent design conservation area. 3 1.9 In line with the guidance given by both the west side, as well as the Common itself: Government and English Heritage, therefore, this conservation area profile will aim to define the 2.3 In April 1991 the conservation area was character of the conservation area on the basis of further extended to included an area to the north an analysis of all or some of the following criteria:- including Steme Street, Tadmor Street, Bulwer * the origins and development of the street Street, Aldine Street and Caxton Road. patterns, the lie of the land; archaeological si&icance and potential of the area, including any scheduled monuments; 3 CONSERVATION AREA the architectural and historic quality, BOUNDARIES character and coherence of the buildings, both listed and unlisted, and the contribution which 3.1 The Shepherds Bush Conservation Area, they make to the special interest of the area; although centred on the Common, includes areas the character and hierarchy of spaces, and to the north, west and south. Its boundaries are townscape quality; formed by Bulwer and Tadmor Streets to the prevalent and traditional building materials north, Shepherds Bush Place and the arch to the for buildings, walls and surfaces; former White City Exhibition to the east and by the contribution made to the character of Pennard Road to the west. The southern the area by greens or green spaces, trees, hedges boundary includes Shepherds Bush Green and and other natural or cultivated elements; takes in areas around the junction of Shepherds the prevailing (or former) uses within the Bush and Goldhawk Roads. area and their historic patronage, and the influence of these on the plan form and building types; 3.2 The conservation area boundary can be seen the relationship of the built environment to on the plan on page 13. landscape/townscape including definition of significant landmarks, vistas and panoramas, where appropriate; 4 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT the extent of any loss, intrusion, or damage OFTHE AREA that has occurred since designation; the existence of any opportunity sites; 4.1 By the Mid 15th Century there was little unlisted buildings which make a positive development in the area beyond a few houses, and Contribution to the conservation area according to an inn, on the north side of the Common and English Heritage's criteria. Syndercombe Cottage, on the comer of Gold Lock Lane *. From the 17th Century the North High Way (Uxbridge Road), the main route from 2 DESIGNATION London to Oxford, ran along the north side of the triangular green known as Shepherds Bush, an area 2.1 The Shepherds Bush Conservation Area of waste land owned by Fulham Manor, The other was designated in October 1984. This initial two sides of the triangle led to Brook Green Lane designation included the residential area to the (Shepherds Bush Road) and Gold Lock Lane north of the Green, on the eastern side, which (Goldhawk Road). contained the cottages in Shepherds Bush Place. 4.2 By the Early 19th Century the roads were 2.2 The conservation area was extended much improved and the north side of the significantly in July 1986 to include the Common and the beginning of Wood Lane, up to entertainment facilities on the west side of the Wood House, were lined with terraces. A Common and the residential area on the south- development of semi detached houses, known as 4 Lawn Place, lined the west side of the Green but Exhibition of 1908, of the "White City" which the southern side remained open 2. attracted a signifcant amount of visitors to the area*. However by the 1930's there is evidence of 4.3 By the Mid 19th Century the Common had slow decline in the area's prosperity, reflected in a been acquired by the Metropolitan Board of Works reduction of local facilities, most certainly linked from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, (the Lords with the burgeoning development of suburbia to of Fulham Manor), and drained and the ground the west. The Common suffered from enemy level raised. Around this time areas to the north action during WWII with extensive damage to its and west of the Common were almost totally built south and west sides and to Uxbridge Road station, up, with a particular density of building around the which never reopened. eastern end of the Common which included Providence Place (Shepherds Bush Place) 3. 4.8 Of Post-War developments the most important have been the relocation of the BBC at 4.4 By the Late 19th Century the area had Wood Lane, in the early 1950's, and the changed dramatically. The Common and the construction, in the late 1960's, ofthe Westway surrounding areas had been built up, although less flyover which reduced the Green's historic role as so on the west side, and the character of the area a main western route out of London. was now distinctly suburban. This development was greatly facilitated by the opening of two new 4.9 In the recent past much of the south side of railways in the area 4. Market gardens were Shepherds Bush Green, outside the conservation replaced by row upon row of terraced houses built area, has been demolished and replaced by a speculatively for occupation by the lower middle shopping centre, tower blocks and a service station. class white collar workers who commuted to the A large aaffic roundabout has been built at its City. eastern end to serve the link road (M41) to the Westway flyover. 4.5 Shepherds Bush Common was at this time the centre of a growing and prosperous Late Victorian suburb. Whilst the south and west sides 5 CHARACTERAND remained residential the houses on the north side APPEARANCE gave way to shops, providing the everyday services required by the local populace. The Common 5.1 Shepherds Bush Common provides an itself had been laid out with pathways, a drinking important area of open space for residents, fountain was installed at its west end and trees employees and shoppers. It is the main feature in planted around its perimeter.