HAROLD ROAD CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL AND MANAGEMENT PLAN SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT CROYDON COUNCIL ISSUE CONSERVATION AREA Draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) DESIGNATION endorsed for adoption by Croydon Council Cabinet 22 June 2015 and adopted as a The Harold Road Conservation Area was Supplementary Planning Document by Croydon originally designated April 1973 and extended in Council 13 July 2015. August 1992, December 2008 and July 2015. This document is available to view and download online at: CONSERVATION AREA http://www.croydon.gov.uk/caamps GENERAL GUIDANCE PUBLISHED BY Please read this document alongside the CROYDON COUNCIL Croydon Conservation Area General Guidance Bernard Weatherill House document, available online at: 8 Mint Walk http://www.croydon.gov.uk/conservation Croydon CR0 1RE www.croydon.gov.uk Other supplementary planning documents are also available online via the Croydon Council Email: [email protected] website Planning pages: Tel: 0208 4071385 http://www.croydon.gov.uk/ planningandregeneration IMAGE CREDITS CROYDON LOCAL PLAN Historic photographs supplied by the Croydon Local Studies and Archives Centre unless other- The Croydon Local Plan and other wise specified Supplementary Planning Documents are available online at: All other photographs supplied by London Borough http://www.croydon.gov.uk/ of Croydon. planningandregeneration/framework/localplan/ Maps reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Ordnance Survey Licence Number 100019257, courtesy of Croydon Council Aerial photography: © Copyright Getmapping plc 2013 © Croydon Council 2015 CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 01 6.9 Vermont Road 31 1.1 What is a Conservation Area? 03 6.10 High View 31 1.2 What is a Conservation Area 03 6.11 Rockmount Road and Essex Mews 32 Appraisal and Management Plan? 6.12 Troy Road 33 1.3 What is this Document’s Status? 03 6.13 Essex Grove 33 1.4 Community Involvement 03 6.14 Orleans Road 33 1.5 Designation Background 03 1.6 Statement of Special Character 04 7.0 CONDITION AND THREATS 34 1.7 Streets within the Conservation Area 04 7.1 General Condition 34 7.2 Key Threats and Negative Issues 35 PART 1: APPRAISAL 06 PART 2: MANAGEMENT PLAN 37 2.0 CONTEXT 07 2.1 Location, Topography and Setting 07 8.0 DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES 38 2.2 Historic Development 08 8.1 Demolition 38 2.3 Archaeological Significance 13 8.2 New Development 38 8.3 Development Affecting the 38 3.0 TOWNSCAPE CHARACTER 14 Conservation Area ’s Setting 3.1 Layout and Plan Form 14 8.4 Property Conversion 38 3.2 Density and Land Uses 15 8.5 Extensions 39 3.3 Building Height and Massing 15 8.6 Window Replacement 39 3.4 Views 15 8.7 Dormer Windows and Rooflights 39 8.8 Architectural Features 39 4.0 STREETSCAPE CHARACTER 16 8.9 Cladding, Rendering or Painting 39 4.1 The Streets 16 of Walls 4.2 Front Gardens 16 8.10 Doors and Porches 40 4.3 Upper Norwood Recreation Ground 16 8.11 Extraneous Fixtures 40 4.4 Boundary Treatments 17 8.12 Signage 40 4.5 Street Furniture 17 8.13 Front gardens and Boundary 40 4.6 Greenery and Trees 17 Treatments 8.14 Trees in Private Gardens 40 5.0 ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER 18 5.1 General Architectural Character 18 9.0 ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS 41 5.2 Historic and Architectural 18 9.1 Locally Listed Buildings 41 Significance of Buildings 9.2 Article 4 Directions 41 5.3 Key Architectural Features and 21 9.3 Planning Enforcement 41 Building Materials 9.4 Building Regulations 41 6.0 STREET ASSESSMENT 24 10.0 MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND 42 6.1 Bedwardine Road 24 IMPROVEMENTS 6.2 Central Hill 24 10.1 Maintenance and Repair 42 6.3 Chevening Road 26 10.2 Restoring and Re-Instating Features 43 6.4 Eversley Road 26 10.3 Public Realm Improvements 43 6.5 Gatestone Road 27 10.4 Energy Efficency Improvements 43 6.6 Harold Road 28 10.5 Tree Management 43 6.7 Highfield Hill 30 6.8 South Vale 30 APPENDIX 1: OTHER RELEVANT 44 INFORMATION APPENDIX 2: CONTACTS 45 N KEY The Harold Road Conservation Area Other Conservation Areas in Croydon Map 1. The location of the Harold Road Conservation Area and other conservation areas in Croydon INTRODUCTION The Harold Road Conservation Area Other Conservation Areas in Croydon N Map 2. The boundary of the Harold Road Conservation Area Previous page: 38 Harold Road 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 WHAT IS A CONSERVA- 1.3 WHAT IS THIS DOCU- TION AREA? MENT’S STATUS 1.1.1 A conservation area is an 1.3.1 This document is a Supple- area of special architectural or mentary Planning Document historic interest; the character (SPD) to the Croydon Local and appearance of which it Plan: Strategic Policies is desirable to preserve or (adopted April 2013) and is a enhance. Please see section material consideration when 1.3 of Croydon’s Conservation planning applications affecting Area General Guidance SPD the conservation area are for further information. assessed. Rhythmic front gables in the Harold Road Conservation Area 1.2 WHAT IS A CONSERVA- 1.3.2 All planning applications for TION AREA APPRAISAL AND sites within the Harold Road MANAGEMENT PLAN? Conservation Area should be 1.2.1 A Conservation Area informed by both this SPD and Appraisal and Management the Croydon Conservation Area Plan is a document produced General Guidance SPD. to supplement Croydon’s Local Plan, the London Plan, and 1.4 COMMUNITY Croydon’s Conservation Area INVOLVEMENT General Guidance SPD. 1.4.1 The North Croydon Conser- vation Area Advisory Panel (see 1.2.2 This document is structured section 1.4 of the Conservation in two parts, an Appraisal of Area General Guidance SPD), the conservation area and an supplied material to inform this Wide plots with large front gardens in associated Management Plan. draft Harold Road Conservation Harold Road Conservation Area The Appraisal defines the Area Appraisal and Manage- principal qualities that constitute ment Plan prior to formal the conservation area’s special consultation. character and identifies threats to this character. The Appraisal 1.4.2 Public consultation ran from is not necessarily exhaustive 26 January - 9 March 2015. The and other elements of architec- draft document was available tural or historic interest may be to view and download on the present within the area. Council’s website and hard copies were available from 1.2.3 The Management Plan local libraries. Site notices were addresses issues raised in placed in the conservation area, the Appraisal and provides letters were sent to all proper- area-specific development ties located within its boundary, Double height bay windows in the Harold Road Conservation Area and maintenance guidelines to an article was published in the supplement those provided in Croydon Guardian. A public Croydon’s Conservation Area event and exhibition was held General Guidance SPD. Poten- at the Living Water Satisfies tial enhancement of the area Cafe in Crystal Palace on 12 is also considered. For further February 2015. information please see section 1.4 of the Conservation Area 1.4.3 Following the consulta- General Guidance SPD. tion period, all responses were considered and, where appropriate, the document was amended prior to a recom- mendation to full Council for adoption. Varying front gables in the conserva- tion area 3 1.5 DESIGNATION There is a more spacious layout BACKGROUND on the shallower sloped ground 1.5.1 The Harold Road Conser- to the west, and tighter-knit vation Area was originally development on the steeper designated in 1973 due its slopes to the east. The area considerable architectural is also enriched by the Upper interest, and the risks posed to Norwood Recreation Ground, the area’s character, as a result one of Croydon’s early recrea- of redevelopment pressures. tion grounds, and the presence It was later extended in 1992 of many mature trees both to include 8 Harold Road and within the park and in private extended in 2008 to include the gardens. historic building of St Margaret’s 93-97 Central Hill 97 Central Hill is a Church, Chevening Road. Two 1.7 STREETS WITHIN THE locally listed building further extensions were made CONSERVATION AREA in 2015 to include parts of High 1.7.1 All or part (as listed), of the View Road, Rockmount Road, following streets are located Troy Road, Orleans Road, within the Harold Road Conser- Essex Grove and Eversley vation Area: Road. St Margaret’s Church • Bedwardine Road (part) was demolished in 2012 which • Central Hill (part) led to the site being removed • Essex Grove (most) from the conservation area in • Eversley Road (part) 2015. See Map 3. • Gatestone Road (all) • Harold Road (most) 1.6 STATEMENT OF SPECIAL • Highfield Hill (part) CHARACTER • High View Road (part) 1.6.1 The Harold Road Conserva- • Orleans Road (part) tion Area contains a significant • Rockmount and Essex Mews View down Essex Grove towards the Upper Norwood Recreation Ground grouping of substantially sized, (part) late Victorian, elaborately • South Vale (all) detailed villas set in generous • Troy Road (most) gardens, laid out on wide • Vermont Road (part) sweeping roads and tree lined slopes. This development is 1.7.2 The overall character of the linked to the wider expansion conservation area is analysed in of the area which occured. Sections 2-5 of this document, following the arrival of The the distinctive characteristics Crystal Palace in 1856 and present on each street are the expansion of the railways. discussed in Section 6. Its 19th Century townscape is well preserved without many modern alterations damaging Grouping of Moderne houses on the character and architectural Eversley Road significance.