Plas Carew, Uned 5/7 Cefn Coed Plas Carew, Unit 5/7 Cefn Coed Parc Nantgarw, Caerdydd CF15 7QQ Parc Nantgarw, Cardiff CF15 7QQ Ffôn 01443 336000 Ffacs 01443 336001 Tel 01443 336000 Fax 01443 336001 Ebost [email protected] Email [email protected] Gwefan www.cadw.wales.gov.uk Web www.cadw.wales.gov.uk Mrs D Hier Eich cyfeirnod P/12/0219 Your reference Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council Ein cyfeirnod Ty Keir Hardie Our reference Riverside Court Dyddiad 15 November 2012 Avenue De Clichy Date Merthyr Tydfil Llinell uniongyrchol CF47 8XF Direct line Ebost Email: Dear Mrs Hier TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 PLANNING APPLICATION NO: P/12/0219 PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT: DEMOLITION OF EXISTING B & Q BUILDING AND ERECTION OF 6 RETAIL UNITS (NO 12-17) WITHIN CYFARTHA RETAIL PARK (USE CLASS A1) WITH CAFÉ IN UNIT 17 AND ASSOCIATED ALTERATIONS TO EXISTING CAR PARK SERVING CYFARTHA RETAIL PARK, ERCTION OF 3 RETAIL UNITS (USE CLASS A1) ON LAND AT FORMER THORN ELECTRICAL SITE TOGETHER WITH THE CREATION OF CAR PARKING AREAS, SERVICE/COMPOUND AREAS AND ASSOCIATED LANDSCAPING WORKS, HIGHWAY WORKS TO THE A470 (T) AND SWANSEA ROAD (FULL) LOCATION: LAND AT FORMER THORNS ELECTRICAL SITE AND CYFARTHA RETAIL PARK, INCLUDING PART OF THE A470 (T) AND SWANSEA ROAD MERTHYR TYDFIL Thank you for your letter of 3 September 2012 inviting Cadw’s comments on the planning application for the proposed development as described above. I apologise for the delay in responding. The advice set out below relates only to those aspects of the proposal, which fall within Cadw’s remit as a consultee on planning applications – the impact of developments on scheduled monuments or Registered Historic Landscapes, Parks and Gardens. Our comments do not address any potential impact on the setting of any listed building, which is properly a matter for your authority. These views are provided without prejudice to the Welsh Government’s consideration of the matter, should it come before it formally for determination. Scheduled Monuments Cadw’s records show that three scheduled monuments of national importance are located in close proximity to the proposed development site. The scheduled monument known as Remains of Iron Furnaces, Cyfarthfa Ironworks (GM425) is located adjacent to the northern part of the proposed development site. The great east-facing furnace bank at Cyfarthfa and its charging ramp approaching from the south probably constitute the single most impressive monument to the Industrial Revolution in Wales. In their heyday in the late eighteenth century, the furnaces lay at the centre of the largest ironworks in the world. The western boundary of the scheduled area is co-located with the eastern Cadw yw gwasanaeth amgylchedd hanesyddol Llywodraeth Cymru. Ein nod yw hyrwyddo gwaith cadwraeth ar gyfer amgylchedd hanesyddol Cymru a gwerthfawrogiad ohono. Cadw is the Welsh Government’s historic environment service. Our aim is to promote the conservation and appreciation of Wales’s historic environment. boundary of the development area located to the north of the A4102. The scheduled monument known as Pont y Cafnau Tramroad Bridge (GM424) is located c. 250m north of the northern edge of the proposed development area. The scheduled monument known as Iron Canal Bridge from Rhydycar (GM486) is located c. 275m east of the eastern boundary of the proposed development area. The scheduled areas of these monuments are shown outlined in red on the attached plan. The application has the potential to affect the monument in two ways – either a direct, physical impact on the site itself, or an impact on the setting of the site. Physical impact From the information given, it appears that no works will take place within the scheduled areas. However, it must be stressed that ‘works’ are not restricted to building works, but can also include ancillary features like drainage, landscaping, hard-standing etc. Provided that none of these take place within the scheduled area of GM425, there should be no physical impact on the monument itself and scheduled monument consent (SMC) will not be required on this occasion. If physical works will take place within the scheduled area, SMC will be required from Cadw. Evaluation work undertaken by GGAT Contracts has demonstrated that the proposed development site has the potential to affect archaeological remains which are not scheduled, but are, nonetheless, important and probably associated with the scheduled site. Setting Planning Policy Wales (Edition 4, February 2011, paragraph 6.5.1) states that the desirability of preserving the setting of an ancient monument should be “a material consideration in determining a planning application”. The setting of a monument is the surroundings in which a heritage asset is experienced and can be described as being the way in which the monument is seen, understood and appreciated. It is often primarily visual, but can also include other features like tranquillity or remoteness. Its extent is not fixed and may change as the asset and its surroundings evolve. Setting includes views from, of and across a monument. Development of retail buildings adjacent to scheduled monuments can often affect their setting. Cadw’s Regional Inspector of ancient monuments undertook a site visit on 7 November and viewed the proposed development site and scheduled monuments from different locations around Merthyr Tydfil. There is no inter-visibility between the proposed development site and either Pont y Cafnau Tramroad Bridge (GM424) or Iron Canal Bridge from Rhydycar (GM486). In the opinion of Cadw, the proposed development will, therefore, have a neutral impact on the setting of these scheduled monuments. Given the shared boundary between the proposed development and the Remains of Iron Furnaces, Cyfarthfa Ironworks (GM425), the proposed development has the potential to impact significantly on the setting of the scheduled monument. The setting of this scheduled monument should be considered as a key planning issue. The demolition and construction of new units on the existing retail site to the south of the A4102 road is largely a like-for-like replacement; in Cadw’s opinion this aspect of the proposed development has a neutral impact on the setting of the scheduled monument. The situation is more complex for the new proposed development to the north of the A4102 road. Given the scale of the proposed development and the size and character of the scheduled monument, the impact on the setting of the monument must be considered in the light of views across the site, as well as close and medium distance views of the scheduled monument. The scheduled part of the top of the furnace bank comprises of grassland and trees. Views across the site are open, with intermittent screening from trees. There is an existing line of close set trees that acts as a partial screen between the development site and the scheduled area. The scheduled monument area is long, thin and curvilinear in shape being aligned roughly N-S. The close proximity of the proposed development to the scheduled monument on the western side would create an unfortunate visual juxtaposition between the monument and the development when viewing across the monument from either the south end northwards or vice versa. The applicant has endeavoured to mitigate the visual impact of the development by locating the buildings along the western edge of the development area away from the scheduled monument and by the introduction of wooden cladding and grass-covered roofs. However, the building range, car park and additional ancillary features such as street lights would represent a significant visual intrusion alongside the scheduled monument. It is Cadw’s opinion that more could be done to reduce the visual impact of this part of the development on the scheduled monument; a reduction of the visual impact on views across the scheduled monument would make the proposed development more acceptable. In terms of close distance views, there is a significant difference in level between the (upper) development site and the (lower) ground to the east of the scheduled area (that part formally occupied by foundries and casting houses etc.). As indicated in the supporting Environment Statement the proposed development would not be visible from the Taff Trail below the monument as the sheer, tall, face of the furnace wall would block the view. Similarly, the close distance view of the scheduled monument from the northern part of the proposed development site would not be significantly affected, as the furnace bank wall is east-facing and views across the site eastwards would not be obscured. In Cadw’s opinion, the principal medium distance view that requires close attention is that from the terrace of Cyfarthfa Castle and Park. This presents a critical view of the scheduled monument. From here the great elevation of the furnace bank is visible, together with horizontal bands of vegetation and domestic dwellings above. The construction of the new B&Q building range would be readily visible from this location and the building range’s large form and bulk would dominate the view, much as the existing retail development dominates the view of the charging ramp, despite efforts to screen it with trees. The large glazed entrance, with a potential for reflected glare, presence of illuminated signage and glare from lamp posts are also of concern here. The scheduled monument is not readily visible in the medium distance views from the west (Heolgerrig and Gellideg). Similarly, the medium distance views from the south and east are either obscured or viewed against an existing urban landscape. Given these facts, it is the opinion of Cadw that the proposed development would have a significant negative visual impact on the setting of the scheduled monument, particularly in terms of medium distance views across the monument and from Cyfarthfa Castle.