Bridges Conservation Area Character Appraisal Final April 2013 Gateshead Council Contents Reid’s plan of the Borough, 1879 16 Contribution of Spaces 44 2nd Edition OS, 1897 16 Roads and Pavements 44 3rd Edition OS, 1916-20 17 Open Spaces & Vacant Sites 45 4th - 6th Edition OS 17 Public Art 46 Bridges Conservation Area Map 18 Loss, Intrusion and Damage 48 Introduction 3 Sources 19 Negative Areas to be Improved 48 Conservation Areas 3 Historic Images 20 Vacant Sites 49 Town Planning Context 3 Amenity Issues 49 This Character Appraisal 4 Spatial Analysis 22 Condition of Buildings 50 Further Information 4 Development Pattern 22 Layout, Grain & Density 25 List of Figures Location and Context 5 Views in the area 26 1 - Wider Location map Location 5 2 - Bridges Conservation Area boundary Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) 6 Character Analysis 28 3 - John Wood’s Map of Newcastle & Gateshead Context 7 Character Zones 28 4 - Oliver’s Map of Newcastle Geology 7 The Bridges 29 5 - Bell’s Map of the Great Northern Coal Field Topography and Aspect 7 Riverbank Zone 30 6 - 1st ed. OS map Setting and External Relationships 7 Relationship to other Zones 32 7 - Reid’s Plan Views out of the Area 8 Quality and Significance 32 8 - 2nd ed. OS map Central Zone 33 9 - 3rd ed. OS map Historical Development 9 Relationship to other Zones 36 10 - 4th ed. OS map Gateshead to the nineteenth century 9 Quality and Significance 36 11 - Bridges Conservation Area Map The Railway Effect 10 Greenesfield Zone 37 12 - Spatial Analysis of Bridges The last few decades 12 Relationship to other Zones 38 13 - Character Zones Map Development 13 Quality and Significance 38 John Speed’s Map of Newcastle, 1611 13 Tyne Bridge Zone 39 Appendix Corbridge Map of Newcastle, 1723 13 Relationship to other Zones 40 A - Ages of Streets & Spaces Beilby’s Plan, 1788 13 Quality and Significance 40 B - Contribution of Streets and Spaces John Wood Map, 1827 13 Swinburne Zone 41 C - Contribution of Buildings Oliver’s Map of Newcastle, 1830 14 Relationship to other Zones 42 D - Contribution of Streets, Spaces & Buildings Bell’s Map, 1843 14 Quality and Significance 42 E - Heritage Designations 1st Edition OS, 1856 - 1895 15 Unity 43 April 2013 Bridges Conservation Area 2 Character Appraisal Gateshead Council alterations or new building, but this is often Town Planning Context Section 1 outweighed by the “cachet” of living or running Current government policy is set out in the a business in a conservation area, and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Introduction tendency of well-maintained neighbourhood (2012) and includes para. 169 which requires character to sustain property values. local planning authorities to ” have up-to-date evidence about the historic environment in their Conservation Areas The first conservation areas were created in area”. Conservation areas are “areas of special 1967 and now over 9, 300 have been designated architectural or historic interest, the character or across England and Wales, varying greatly in The local development plan for Gateshead is appearance of which it is desirable to preserve character and size. There are currently 22 in the Unitary Development Plan (UDP), adopted in or enhance”1. They are designated by the local Gateshead, as set out below: 2007 and now saved for advisory use alongside planning authority using local criteria. t Axwell Park the emerging Local Development Framework. t Birtley Under the government’s current planning Conservation areas are about character t Blaydon Bank system, a Local Development Framework (LDF) is and appearance, which could be derived from t Bradley Park a portfolio of planning documents used to plan many factors including individual buildings, t Bridges (Gateshead) and control development across the borough building groups and their relationship with open t Chowdene which includes the emerging local plan. space, architectural detailing, materials, views, t Clara Vale colours, landscaping, street furniture and so t Coatsworth The saved UDP shows that the Council is on. Character can also draw on more abstract t Crowhall (Felling) keen to preserve and enhance the character and notions such as sounds, local environmental t Gibside appearance of designated Conservation Areas, conditions and historical changes. These things t Lamesley this is also true of the LDF. Together they set combine to create a locally distinctive sense of t Lintzford forward a number of policies which aim to guide place worthy of protection. t Lowfell and improve development within a Conservation t Marley Hill Area to compliment and improve the existing Conservation areas do not prevent t Path Head character. development from taking place. Rather, they t Ravensworth are designed to manage change, controlling the t Rowlands Gill As such, in accordance with these way new development and other investment t Ryton development plan documents, the Council reflects the character of its surroundings. Being t Saltwell has a duty, in exercising its planning powers, in a conservation area does tend to increase the t Sheriff Hill to pay special attention to the enhancement standards required for aspects such as repairs, t Walker Terrace/ Regent Street (Gateshead) of conservation areas. It also has a duty, from Wickham time to time, to draw up and publish proposals 1 Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990, t s69(1)(a) Bridges Conservation Area April 2013 Character Appraisal 3 Gateshead Council which assist in the enhancement of such areas. Further Information This process includes consultation with local For further information on the conservation stakeholders. The local planning authority also area or this character appraisal, please contact: has extra powers in conservation areas over demolition, minor developments, and tree Clare Lacy protection.2 Senior Conservation Officer Historic Environment Team Gateshead Council Civic Centre This Character Appraisal Regent Street Bridges Conservation Area was designated in Gateshead 1991 and a character statement was approved NE81HH for the area in 1994. In 2006, IPA17 was formally Tel: (0191) 433 3510 adopted which included updated character Email: [email protected] statements for all conservation areas, including Bridges. This character appraisal was prepared in 2012 by North of England Civic Trust for Gateshead Council. By its very nature, this document cannot be exhaustive. Omissions should not necessarily be regarded as having no special interest or making no positive contribution to the character and appearance of the area. The appraisal should be updated every five years or so, taking into account changes in the area and further understanding of the place. 2 Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990, s71 & s72 April 2013 Bridges Conservation Area 4 Character Appraisal Gateshead Council Section 2 Location and Context Location Bridges Conservation Area is situated in Gateshead, a large town on the south banks of the River Tyne, and is part of the Tyne and Wear conurbation in the north east of England. It is in Bridges ward. The Conservation Area is based on the original town centre on the river banks, and the modern town centre is immediately to the south. A series of road, rail and pedestrian links connect the area with the Newcastle city centre across the river. The conservation area covers approximately 27.7 hectares. Bridges Conservation Area comprises some of the earliest development in the borough with the town originating from the riverbank. The area, at one time, was the centre for industry and was also packed with housing, churches and all the trappings of a small industrial town centre. The development of the rail links and bridges is one of the main features of the conservation area and is essential to its character. This has lead to the area being bypassed over time. It d has diversified from its former uses but much of the historical features remain and, in general, there is a strong sense of place to the Bridges Conservation Area. Fig.1 - Wider location of Bridges Conservation Area © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey Gateshead Council 100019132 Bridges Conservation Area April 2013 Character Appraisal 5 Gateshead Council Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) In recent years, part of Bridges Conservation Area was included in a Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI), a Heritage Lottery funded regeneration scheme to restore and reinstate authentic architectural features, particularly focusing on commercial premises. The area of focus was the enclosed space within the railway viaducts and the closely surrounding areas. This allowed the improvements to be made to the highest concentration of buildings of historic and architectural value. The improvements also impacted on the wider conservation area and areas of public realm were also significantly enhanced through the THI. The high-quality conservation standards of the improvements have enhanced the area’s appearance and added to the conservation area’s character. Fig. 2 - Bridges Conservation Area boundary © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey Gateshead Council 100019132 April 2013 Bridges Conservation Area 6 Character Appraisal Gateshead Council Context the ridge top but continues to slope southwards The conservation area is within the Tyne Geology beyond the conservation area. The two sections Gorge which was formed as a result of the Gateshead is in the Tyne & Wear Lowlands are separated, in most places, by a steep various influences that have acted upon it. The countryside character area (no.14). It is bankside but where road links are prominent, character of the area has evolved in response characterised by undulating or rolling land the steep bankside has been adapted for this to physical factors such as geology, landform which is incised by the valleys of the major rivers purpose. and drainage that in turn influence the soils, and their tributaries. Almost all of the Tyne land cover and land use of an area.