This Appraisal was adopted by Waverley Borough Council as a Supplementary Planning Document On 19th July 2005 Contents 1. Introduction 2. The Aim of the Appraisal 3. Where is the Bramley Conservation Area? 4. Threats to the Conservation area 5. Location and Population 6. History, Links with Historic Personalities and Archaeology 7. The Setting and Street Scene 8. Land Uses • Shops • Businesses • Houses • Open Spaces Park Lodge 9. Development in the Conservation area 10. Building Materials 11. Listed and Locally Listed Buildings 12. Heritage Features 13. Trees, Hedges and Walls 14. Movement, Parking and Footpaths 15. Enhancement Schemes 16. Proposed Boundary Changes 17. The Way Forward Appendices 1. Local Plan policies incorporated into the Local Development Framework 2. Listed Buildings 3. Locally Listed Buildings 4. Heritage Features 1. Introduction High Street, Bramley 1. Introduction 1.1. The legislation on conservation areas was introduced in 1967 with the Civic Amenities Act and on 26th March 1974 Surrey County Council designated the Bramley conservation area. The current legislation is the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, which states that every Local Authority shall: 1.2. “From time to time determine which parts of their area are areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance, and shall designate those areas as conservation areas.” (Section 69(a) and (b).) 1.3. The Act also requires local authorities to “formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of conservation areas…………”.(Section 71). 1.4. There has been an ongoing programme of enhancement schemes in the Borough since the mid 1970s. 1.5. English Heritage has advised that local authorities should carry out conservation area appraisals to define the special interest of the areas, and the Borough Council is carrying out a series of these appraisals. The English Heritage document “Conservation Area Appraisals 1997” sets out techniques for carrying out an appraisal and these have been adopted for all the studies including the Bramley Conservation area study. 1.6. In 2001, the Borough Council decided to embark on a series of conservation area appraisals for the conservation areas in Waverley. The process began with an appraisal of Wrecclesham, Farnham, largely because of the traffic problems and opportunities in the village. Farnham Town Centre conservation area was the next on the list, and Bramley is the third study area. 1.7. Acknowledgements Waverley Borough Council would like to acknowledge the following organisations for their help in compiling this appraisal: Bramley Parish Council Bramley History Society Bramley Village Society Surrey County Council Highways Authority 2. The Aim of the Appraisal Gable Cottage, Horsham Road 2. The Aim of the Appraisal 2.1. The aim is to appraise the character of the Bramley village centre conservation area and to identify those qualities which should be preserved and enhanced and produce proposals for the improvement of the area. 2.2. Objectives It is intended to meet this aim by carrying out the following objectives:- 2.3. Undertake an appraisal in accordance with the English Heritage techniques as set out in its publications “Conservation Area Appraisals 1997”. 2.4. Produce the document in partnership with local organisations concerned with heritage. 2.5. Work closely with Surrey County Council as highway authority on the movement aspects of the appraisal 2.6. Produce an appraisal document to be used by the Borough Council and the community when considering development proposals. 2.7. Producing the Appraisal The community and organisations were consulted in Bramley in January and February 2005. The document was then revised to incorporate comments and adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document on 19th July 2005. It now forms part of the new Local Development Framework, which is to replace the Waverley Local Plan 2002. 2.8. Using the Appraisal The appraisal can be used in a number of ways. It will be referred to when planning applications are made and will establish the approach that should be taken to design and land use in the conservation area. It also provides a list of enhancement schemes that could be carried out when funding opportunities arise. The appraisal will provide a context for schemes that may arise to deal with the traffic problems in the village centre, and will relate to development outside the conservation area. 2.9. Who did this work? The appraisal has been carried out by a number of officers from Waverley’s Planning department, with help and advice from the Bramley Conservation Area Group, which comprises representatives from Bramley Parish Council, Bramley Village Society, and Bramley History Society. This approach has been used to ensure that the expertise and local knowledge of the partners is incorporated directly into the document. 3. Where is the Bramley Conservation Area? Edwins Restaurant,High Street. 3. Where is the Bramley Conservation Area? 3.1. The Bramley conservation area (CA) was designated on 26th March 1974. Since then, there has been a lot of development within and around the CA, particularly along the eastern boundary, and also around Bramley Park Farm in the south west. This latter development led to an amendment to the boundary being made in December 1990, where historic garden walls were used to form the new boundary. The amount of development in the area, combined with the heavy traffic on the A281, which runs through the centre of the village, meant that Bramley was 3rd highest on the list of Conservation areas to be included in the latest round of appraisals. This appraisal will not only form a review of the CA in the 30 years since its designation, but it will also be important in providing guidance for development and maintenance of the CA in future years. The first map shows the original boundary as designated in 1974. The second shows the current boundary, as amended by this Supplementary Planning Document. Part of Bramley Park Court. Added to the CA in 1990. 4. Threats to the Conservation Area Grinstead’s, High Street. 4. Threats to the Conservation Area 4.1. The Bramley Conservation Group identified a number of threats to the conservation area. 4.2. Traffic: the major detriment to the CA is traffic. There can be heavy traffic on the A281, particularly at peak times, and the speed of traffic, the narrow width of pavements, and other factors all contribute to despoil the CA. 4.3. Development within the CA is also a concern. The CA designation means that the quality of design of new buildings in the area can be controlled. As certain elements of the CA come up for redevelopment, care must be taken in ensuring that it is of sufficient architectural quality. 4.4. Loss of Walls. Some of the walls in the conservation area have come under threat, particularly as many do not have the protection of being ‘listed. Conservation area status does give protection from demolition of structures within the area. Bargate stone walls are a particularly important characteristic of the Bramley Conservation area, and should be retained and repaired as necessary. As well as looking attractive and providing texture in the street scene, the group pointed out that in some instances, the low sunken lanes lined on one side or both with walls, leading into the CA have the benefit of creating a ‘canyon effect’, helping to slow down the traffic coming into the village. Indiscriminate removal of these walls was felt to be detrimental to this. 4.5. Car Parks. Some residential roads in the CA suffer from parking problems for residents. 4.6. The loss of retail units to other uses, such as offices or residential. 4.7. Services such as the library, the petrol station and the business centre need to be sensitive to the ideals of the CA, in terms of the appearance and effect of lighting and advertising, and both soft and hard landscaping. 4.8. Loss of or lack of protection for trees in the CA 4.9. Loss of views into and out of the CA, which would affect its special character. 4.10. These concerns will be looked at in more detail in the relevant sections that follow. 5. Location and Population Summerpool House, High Street. 5. Location and Population 5.1. Bramley is located 3 miles South of Guildford and 2.5 miles Northeast of Godalming. It is situated within the Green Belt, and adjoins Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Great Landscape Value. 5.2. Although the arrival of the canal has little effect on the growth of the village, the village expanded significantly after the arrival of the railway. However, the historic core was largely retained, and the Conservation area is based around this part. 5.3. The population of the parish in 2001 was 3,341. The village is located along the valley of Cranleigh Water, a tributary of the river Wey. This has led to the original village centre being linear-based, further emphasised by a road, then the construction of a canal and a railway line along the valley. Of these three transport routes, only the road (the A281) survives, and the heavy traffic using it has a direct impact on the village centre. 5.4. There are some 1366 households in the parish. It has a high proportion of housing which is owner occupied (70%) and for a village of its size, a relatively high number of households are in Council owned occupation (14% or 194 households). The majority of the houses in the parish are detached (45%) with 29% being semi-detached. 218 (16%) are single pensioner households, which again is a relatively high figure.