Agenda Item: 7C Wolverhampton City Council OPEN EXECUTIVE DECISION ITEM (AMBER) Cabinet / Cabinet Panel CABINET Date 14 MARCH 2007 Portfolio(s) REGENERATION & ENTERPRISE Originating Service Group(s) REGENERATION & ENVIRONMENT Contact Officer(s)/ Richard Wassell / Sue Whitehouse Telephone Number(s) x4007 x5617 KEY DECISION: YES Title Conservation Area Appraisals - Review IN FORWARD PLAN: YES Recommendation Cabinet is recommended to: 1. Note the outcome of the recent public consultation on the following: • Methodology for the implementation of a phased programme of Conservation Area appraisals; • Wolverhampton City Centre Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals; • Chapel Ash Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals; • Union Mill Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Proposals; 2. Note the comments of the Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Panel (13 March 2007) to be circulated at the meeting on the implementation of a phased programme of conservation are appraisals and management plans and on conservation area external funding bids. 3. Approve suggested changes arising from the consultation on the above documents; 4. Approve alterations to the boundary of the Wolverhampton City Centre Conservation Area and the boundary of the Union Mill Conservation Area; 5. Approve the additions to the Wolverhampton Local List arising from the consultation exercise as shown in Appendix 1 to this report; 6. Approve the methodology and appraisals as supporting documents to the adopted Unitary Development Plan; 7. Authorise going out to consultation during 2007/8 on appraisals and management proposals for the following Conservation Areas: • Park • Penn Fields • Tettenhall Wood • The Oaks (Merridale Road) • Tettenhall Road and • Castlecroft Gardens; Conservation Area review – Cabinet report March 2007 8. Grant delegated authority to approve future Conservation Area appraisals and management proposals through Green Decision procedures following public consultation; 9. Receive annual updates on the Conservation Areas appraisal programme; and 10. Refer this report to Planning Committee for information. Conservation Area review – Cabinet report March 2007 Executive Summary This report summarises the outcome of recent public consultation on a Methodology for the production of conservation area appraisals and management plans and pilot appraisals and management plans for three conservation areas. Arising from the consultation, approval is sought for amendments to the boundaries of two conservation areas and also to the inclusion of 28 buildings/structures on the Local List. Cabinet is also asked to approve the Methodology and the three pilot appraisals as supporting documents to the adopted UDP. The report seeks authorisation to go out to consultation on a further six conservation area appraisals during 2007/8 and recommends Cabinet grant of delegated authority to approve future appraisals and management proposals, including Article 4(2) Directions, through Green Decision procedures unless any significant issues arise. The Methodology recommends a five year programme to deliver a review of the remaining 27 conservation areas in the City. There are 3 Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) which are related to conservation area appraisals and it is therefore proposed that an annual progress report is submitted to Cabinet to enable members to monitor progress and that any reports are referred to Planning Committee for information. 1. Purpose 1.1 To inform Cabinet of the outcomes of the public consultation undertaken in September and October 2006 on a methodology for implementation of a phased programme of Conservation Area appraisals and on draft Conservation Area appraisals and management plans for the Chapel Ash, Union Mill and Wolverhampton City Centre Conservation Areas. (Copies of the draft methodology and appraisals for Chapel Ash, Union Mill and Wolverhampton City Centre Conservation Areas, the report on the public consultation and proposed changes, are available for inspection in the Members Room and on the Wolvesnet Planning and Highways page). 1.2 To ask Cabinet to approve the proposed changes to the documents arising from the consultation exercise and to approve the methodology and three appraisals as supporting documents to the Wolverhampton Unitary Development Plan. 1.3 To seek approval to proposed changes to the boundaries of the Wolverhampton City centre Conservation Area and Union Mill Conservation Area and to additions to the Wolverhampton Local List. 1.4 To seek approval to go out to public consultation subject to resources during 2007/8 on a further six Conservation Area appraisals and management plans for the following areas: • Park • Penn Fields • Tettenhall Wood • The Oaks (Merridale Road) • Tettenhall Road • Castlecroft Gardens Conservation Area review – Cabinet report March 2007 2. Background 2.1 At their meeting of 11th January 2006 Cabinet members gave approval to go out to public consultation on a standard methodology for the preparation of Conservation Area appraisals and draft appraisal and management proposals documents for three pilot Conservation Areas. 2.2 The consultation exercise took place between 4th September and 14th October 2006. Copies of the four draft documents were circulated to consultees selected from the list compiled to support the Statement of Community Involvement. In addition summaries of the Conservation Area appraisals and management plans, together with a questionnaire, were circulated to all addresses within the relevant Conservation Area boundaries and relevant ward members. A small exhibition was displayed at five venues in the city centre over the consultation period. Copies of the documents were also made available for public comments at the Tourist Information Centre, Central Library and Civic Centre. PDF versions of the documents were put onto the City Council web site and the Wolverhampton Partnership web site which also provided an opportunity to complete the questionnaires on-line. The consultation was publicised in the local press and an A5 information flyer was also widely circulated. In addition invitations to speak about the Chapel Ash appraisal were received from the Graiseley &Park and Whitmore Reans & Dunstall Area Forums (LANAs). 2.3 It is proposed that the consultation outcome report, once approved by Cabinet, should be made available on the Council web site. A summary of the responses is given below. Those who responded will also be informed of the outcome of the consultation exercise. 2.4 There are 3 BVPIs which are related to conservation area appraisals. These are : • Total number of conservation areas in the local authority area (BVPI 219a) • Percentage of conservation areas in the local authority area with an up-to-date character appraisal (BVPI 219b) • Percentage of conservation areas with published management proposals (BVPI 219c) 2.5 The Methodology for Conservation Area Appraisals recommends a five year programme to deliver a review of the remaining 27 Conservation Areas in the City (subject to availability of resources). The implementation of any preservation and enhancement proposals arising out of the appraisal and management proposals will be dependant upon assistance from public sector funding, English Heritage or the Heritage Lottery Fund ( THI for instance). 3. Summary of consultation responses 3.1 Methodology – those who responded to the consultation on the methodology were generally supportive of the approach being taken although a few suggestions were made for additions to the checklists. 3.2 Wolverhampton City Centre Conservation Area – Once again those who responded to the consultation were generally supportive. All respondents agreed that the special character of the area should be preserved and enhanced for the future. There was particularly strong support (98%) for preservation of Lucy boxes, the need to encourage Conservation Area review – Cabinet report March 2007 higher standards of property maintenance (95%) and the need for grant regimes to assist in the regeneration of the area (98%). 3.3 Eight suggestions were made for the Local List. Not all meet the Council’s criteria and some of the suggestions were outside the Conservation Area. One suggestion is already a building on the Statutory List. A full list of all buildings recommended for inclusion on the Local List, arising from the current consultation, is included in Appendix 1 of this report. 3.4 A number of respondents made general comments on the City Centre Appraisal. There was concern that conservation objectives and the needs of the business community should be balanced and concerns were also raised about anti-social behaviour and litter in parts of the area. The condition of some footpaths and the need to ensure that any alterations made respect the needs of the disabled community were also raised as issues. There were also several general comments in support of the protection of the heritage of the city centre. 3.5 Union Mill Conservation Area – The level of responses to the consultation in this area was lower than in the other two areas. All respondents agreed that the special character and appearance of the area should be preserved. There was strong support for enhancing links between towpaths and other pedestrian routes (86%), the need to encourage higher standards of property maintenance (92%) and the need for grant regimes to assist in the regeneration of the area (92%). 3.6 Two suggestions were made for additions to the Local List, one being outside