RHYL CENTRAL CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL REVIEW DECEMBER 2017 Beverley Kerr On behalf of Purcell ® Bodnant Business Studios, Perhyd Road, Tal y Cafn, Conwy LL28 5RW [email protected] www.purcelluk.com All rights in this work are reserved. No part of this work may be Issue 01 reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means July 2017 (including without limitation by photocopying or placing on a Denbighshire County Council website) without the prior permission in writing of Purcell except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Issue 02 Patents Act 1988. Applications for permission to reproduce any part October 2017 of this work should be addressed to Purcell at [email protected]. Denbighshire County Council Undertaking any unauthorised act in relation to this work may Issue 03 result in a civil claim for damages and/or criminal prosecution. 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Purcell® is the trading name of Purcell Miller Tritton LLP. © Purcell 2017 01.238136 RHYL CENTRAL, CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL REVIEW CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 04 5 CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 59 1.1 Definition of a Conservation Area 04 1.2 Background 04 1.3 Value of the Conservation Area Appraisal Review 06 6 IDENTIFYING THE BOUNDARY 64 1.4 Scope of the Conservation Area Appraisal Review 06 7 CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS 66 2 PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT 07 2.1 National Planning Policy and Guidance 07 2.2 Local Planning Policy and Guidance 07 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY 67 2.3 Conservation Area Policy Guidance 07 2.4 Control Measures within Conservation Areas 08 3 SUMMARY OF SPECIAL INTEREST 09 APPENDICES Appendix 1: Table of Listed Buildings 70 Appendix 2: Selection Criteria for Positive Contributors 78 4 ASSESSMENT OF SPECIAL INTEREST 10 Appendix 3: Selection Criteria used to Identify less than 4.1 Location and Setting 10 4.2 Topography and Geology 10 positive elements 79 4.3 General Description, Character and Plan Form 10 Appendix 4: Plans 80 4.4 Archaeology 10 4.5 Historic Development 10 4.6 Rhyl Central Conservation Area Map Progression 14 4.7 Key Views 17 4.8 Typical Materials 18 4.9 Architectural Features 19 4.10 Shop Fronts and Advertising 21 4.11 Active Street Frontages 25 4.12 Listed Buildings 26 4.13 Positive Contributors 27 4.14 Landmarks 27 4.15 Character Analysis 29 03 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 DEFINITION OF A CONSERVATION AREA 1.2 BACKGROUND A Conservation Area is an area ‘of special architectural or historic The Rhyl Central Conservation Area was designated in July 2007 by interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve Denbighshire County Council. This followed a revision of the Queen or enhance.’01 Designation takes place primarily by local planning Street/Crescent Road Conservation Area and the St Thomas authorities under Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Area which proposed to combine the two into a single Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Local planning authorities also have a designated area which encompassed the town centre and ‘gateway’ duty to review the extent of designation and to designate further area adjacent to the Vale Road bridge. areas if appropriate.02 Section 71 of the Planning Act imposes a duty on the local planning authority to formulate and publish proposals for The St Thomas Conservation Area was originally designated in 1988, the preservation and enhancement of Conservation Areas. Proposals and Queen Street/Crescent Road Conservation Area was designated should be publicised and incorporate public comment. in 1992. A boundary review in 2001-2002 led to an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a Townscape Heritage Initiative in Conservation Area designation recognises the unique quality of an Rhyl. Additional regeneration programmes led to a further review in area as a whole. It is not just the contribution of individual buildings 2006 which recommended the present, combined, Conservation and monuments, but also features such as topography, layout of Area. roads, pathways, street furniture, open spaces, and hard and soft landscaping which assist in defining the character and appearance of As part of an extensive programme of regeneration and renovation an area. Conservation Areas identify the familiar and cherished local in Rhyl through the continuing Rhyl ‘Going Forward’ programme, the scene that creates a sense of place, community, distinctiveness and creation of a new waterpark and leisure attraction on Rhyl’s environment. waterfront, new housing scheme in West Rhyl and the construction of a new chain hotel on the West Parade, Denbighshire County The extent to which built structures positively shape the character of Council have commissioned a further review of the Conservation a Conservation Area depends not just on their street elevations, but Area boundary.04 also on their integrity as historic structures and the impact they have in three dimensions, perhaps in an interesting roofscape, or skyline. A key aim of the fieldwork and subsequent analysis is to understand Back elevations can be important, as can side views from alleys and the appropriateness of the current conservation area boundaries. yards.03 The suggested alterations contained within this document will need to be considered in consultation with the community. This is The aim of Conservation Area Legislation is to preserve and enhance discussed in greater detail in Section 6 of this document. areas of our historic environment that hold value to the people that interact with them, in order that they are enjoyed by this and future generations. 01 Section 69 (1) (a) Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. 02 Section 69 (2) Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. 04 Denbighshire County Council: Rhyl Regeneration: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/ 03 Historic England, Conservation Area Designation, Appraisal and Management, Advice en/resident/community-and-living/regeneration/rhyl-regeneration.aspx [accessed 26th May Note 1(2016), para 61. 2017] 04 INTRODUCTION 1 N 03 02 01 Rhyl Central Area Conservation Area showing the present boundaries and character areas 01 Rhyl’s Interchange and Commercial Core 02 Crescent Road 03 St Thomas’ Conservation Area Boundary Character Area This plan is not to scale 05 1 INTRODUCTION 1.3 VALUE OF THE CONSERVATION AREA 1.4. SCOPE OF THE CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL REVIEW APPRAISAL REVIEW The purpose of a Conservation Area Appraisal is to define and This document is not intended to be fully comprehensive in its scope record the special architectural and historic interest of the Rhyl and content. Omission of any specific building, structure, site, Central Conservation Area.05 The review and update of the landscape, space, feature or aspect located in or adjoining to the Rhyl Appraisal will lead to a better appreciation of the understanding of Central Conservation Area should not be taken to imply that it does the development of the Conservation Area, in terms of its local not hold significance and positively contribute to the character and distinctiveness, setting and condition, which together contribute to appearance of the designated historic asset. the place it is today. This will enable the basis for positive management of the Rhyl Conservation Area. As an area evolves, evidence may emerge which provides a greater understanding of historic asset(s) and the contribution made to the It is intended that the review of the Appraisal, which is now over ten special interest of the Rhyl Central Conservation Area. Such years old, will be been used to make decisions over the position of information should be considered in conjunction with the Appraisal existing boundaries to prepare a management plan which sets out during the course of decision making by the local planning authority. suggested actions to maintain and enhance the special character of the area. Ultimately, adoption of an updated Conservation Area This draft review of the Rhyl Central Conservation Area Appraisal Appraisal and Management Plan will support the active management has been produced by Denbighshire County Council following the of the Conservation Area through the development control process, submission of an initial draft by Purcell. This review was completed including support for appeals. following extensive fieldwork undertaken in Rhyl during May and June 2017. It builds upon the findings and research of the Conservation An adopted Conservation Area Appraisal is a material consideration Area Appraisal carried out in 2006 and approved by Denbighshire to appeal decisions and also relevant to decisions made by the Council in 2007. Secretary of State when considering urgent works to preserve an unlisted building in a Conservation Area. An appraisal can inform those considering investment in the area, help guide the form and content of new development and result in an educational and informative document for the local community.06 The Town and Country Planning Act (General Permitted Development Order) 1995 as amended (GPDO) sets out permitted development rights for certain minor forms of development – i.e. development that may be legitimately undertaken without the need for planning permission. An Appraisal can assess whether or not permitted development rights are having an adverse impact on the special interest of a Conservation Area and whether or not the use of an Article 4 direction is appropriate. The positive characteristics defined by this document should be the starting point for further discussion with the local planning authority where alterations are being considered to or will affect historic asset(s).